There are presently means or tools to carry out this type of operations, consisting of prismatic slide rules of different lengths and colors, abacuses and other types of boxes containing cubes, slide rules and boards.
With these elements, upon being very repetitive, carrying out elementary operations becomes tremendously difficult, and on the other hand the basic digits are not identifiable by touch. Figurative pieces that can be assembled to study the spatial concepts of left, right, etc. and to stimulate oral expression, as well as graphic expression, mathematical as well as to start the learning of reading and writing, are not known either.
In general lines, in order to achieve the above cited advantageous characteristics, as well as to eliminate the inconveniences cited in the prior art, the didactic-educational toy for elementary arithmetic operations, reading and writing, that constitutes the object of the invention, is comprised of a series of parts or elements that we can distribute in two big groups: one of them that comprises all the parts that allow elementary aritmetic operations to be done, and the other that includes another part and letter cards to form words and sentences.
The following elements belong to this first group:
a) Ten rectangular plates from whose top surface ten dowels distributed in two rows of five emerge, these being the base pieces upon which other plates representative of digits will be inserted, as we will see hereinafter. In the base of each dowel there is a fine cylindrical widening to facilitate the lifting of the first inserted plate.
These plates with dowels have a peripheral furrow or groove, made in the edges, thus the coplanar connection of these plates can be carried out, with the help of some boards of lengths corresponding to the sides, inserted in said grooves.
Each rectangular plate is green on the top surface and white on the bottom surface, representing the tenth part of a hundred's place that would be formed upon assembly ten plates, identifying the hundred's place. As we will see later on, the color red will be used to mark the ten's place, and blue to define the one's place.
b) Elongate boards, colored red that, as we have indicated above, serve to join two green rectangular plates, remaining perfectly assembled and the red color thereof meaning the fact that a ten has already been surpassed, as we will see later on. Besides, these boards can replace other elements that mark the ten's place, carrying out an abstraction and simplification process. Therefore, one of the elongate boards can be placed longitudinally between the dowels of the plates, visualizing ten of them when the ten plates are assembled with dowels.
c) A series of thinner plates representative of digits (from 1 to 10). The surface of the plate corresponding to number 10 coincides with the plate with dowels, the one of number 1 being the tenth part of the total surface. The surface of number 2 is equivalent to two-tenth parts, and so on, forming the different numbers from two parallel pair alignments, representative of the preceding even number.
Each one of these thin plates has some stepped cylindrical protuberances, provided with a through hole located in the center point thereof and whose diameter is equivalent to that of the dowels of the base plates to facilitate the stacking thereof upon breaking sown a number. There is a blue colored perimetric strip, with the exception of the plate that defines number 10 which is red as it corresponds to a ten.
Besides they have some hollow spaces with specific shapes in their contour in order to make the identification of the number of cylindrical protuberances easier, or the counting thereof by groups.
In order to facilitate the lifting or release of the plates with dowels due to their slight thickness, it has been provided for that they can include some points thickened on the bottom surface thereof, in replacement of the cylindrical widenings of the base of the dowels.
When these thinner plates, representative of digits, are inserted in the rectangular plates with dowels, the ends of the latter project in order to allow the identification thereof by touch.
d) Transparent templates, of an identical surface as that which corresponds to the number 10, with a red perimetric strip on the edge and ten circular orifices that allow tight insertion in the cylindrical protuberances of the digital plates, the latter already inserted in the plates with dowels, thus the tens that are being formed upon operating can be visualized.
e) A rectangular mold with housings in which the digital plates themselves fit, with identification of the shape by the student, there being some lateral recesses to facilitate the lifting of the inserted plates. In the top part of each housing there is a circle drawn containing the furrow of the shape and the mnemonic drawing thereof that thus helps one to remember the figure. In this way one manages to identify the number with its shape and to write it, operating as a digital plate. This furrow defines a path to be followed by a pencil or scriber, starting from an initial point preferably distinguished in red, thus the automatization and correct tracing of the shape are facilitated.
f) There is also a series of figurative parts that, assembled in the edges of the rectangular plates with dowels, allow the study of spatial concepts of left, right, up, etc. stimulating oral expression as problematic situations arise and making the toy more attractive.
g) Assembly parts of the different digital plates that are incorporated in the stepped stubs. They are "X" shaped or double "X"-shaped with small inside protuberances in the ends of their arched branches, these protuberances inserting in respective recesses existing diametrically opposite in the widest part of the stepped cylindrical protuberances.
h) Pincers for fastening the figurative plates and other elements that we will see hereinafter, related to the second group of cards and elements for reading and writing. One of the limbs of these fastening pincers, has a cylindrical stub that can be inserted in one of the cylindrical recesses of the bottom face of the digital plates, these pincers being rigid or articulated in order to change the plane.
i) Small rectangular plates with two orifices or two pairs of them and the mathematical sign "plus" drawn thereon, in which the portions with the largest diameter of the stepped cylindrical protuberances of the digital plates are inserted, allowing one to add them up and these little plates act as assembly elements and they are to be used in the event that the small children who play with the toy cannot use the "x"-shaped assembly parts due to the risk involved in their small size.
j) Articulating parts that include an articulating head that allows movement like a hinge, turning 90.degree. on both sides in order to change the plane and to form different angular positions with the different component parts of the toy. The maximum rotation limit positions, as well as the coplanar one and the other intermediate positions are stable. These articulating parts have in one of the faces irrespective of the geometric shape thereof, one or several annular bulges that are susceptible to fitting in the corresponding annular channel of the bottom face of the digital plates, provided for this purpose. It also has some flexible end tongue pieces that facilitate disassembly. These articulating heads can also be inserted in the tongue pieces that are inserted in the perimetric groove of the plates with dowels or in the one also existing in other digital plates that have a thickness equivalent to that of the plates with dowels.
k) Plates with stepped cylindrical protuberances and a thickness equivalent to that of the plates with dowels representing the different digits and just like the latter they include the perimetric groove on the edge, also including some recesses or slits that define a castellated contour, joining together the different plates with grooved and tongued coupling tongue pieces.
l) Decorative pieces that have protuberances to fit in the castellated recessed of the plate, aside from partially inserting in the perimetric groove. One of these decorative pieces has a triangular or rectangular shape and represents half the unit which is also usable in architure upon building houses, dolls, etc.
As we had indicated before, the didactic educational toy included other parts or elements that make up what we have called the second group of cards, apt for learning how to read and write. They are basically the following:
a) Cards apt for learning how to read and write, having a different contour and color for the consonants and for vowels. The consonants may be printed on rectangular cards and the vowels or circular cards, for example.
b) Molds or plates provided with housing to place the vowels and consonants individually. Hence, marking the rectangular or circular contour of the letters is made possible in order to later trace or delineate the shape thereof.
c) Cards with allegorical drawings of the words that are printed on one of the surfaces thereof, while on the reverse side of the same there is only the rectangular or circular mark of consonants and vowels, respectively, therefore not including the written word. This may be used so that two contestants, discovering words or sentences previously positioned on a board, play.
One or more plates with stepped cylindrical protuberances and that have a castellated contour can be used as a board. In each one of the slots a card fit in just like the decorative figures can be placed, these cards having a tongue piece and a groove in opposite positions, for the grooved and tongued coupling thereof and to thus permit the forming of words that can be separated by other blank cards or that contain a period.
The cards that include the allegorical drawings of the words appearing on them, are fastened to the plates by means of pincers, one of whose limbs is inserted in the perimetric groove, which may be provided with small reliefs to optimize anchoring.
To provide a better understanding of the features of the invention and forming an integral part of this specification, some sheets of drawings in whose figures the following has been represented in an illustrative and non-restrictive manner, are attached hereto.